City street project should begin this week

By Michael Jacobson

Work on the city's 2006 Street Improvement Project begins in earnest this week with the milling of the existing bituminous surfaces on Koronis Avenue, Pomeroy Avenue, South Street, and Washburne Avenue on Monday, April 10. Deep utility work (digging out and replacing sewer and water mains and lines) is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 17, starting with Koronis Avenue and South Street. Last week, work started with tree removals in the scheduled work areas.

Washburne Avenue (from Highway 23 to Mill Street),
Koronis Avenue (from Highway 23 to Mill Street), Pomeroy Avenue (south of Highway 23), and South Street (from Lake Avenue to just past Morningside Avenue) are all scheduled to be rebuilt: sewer and water lines replaced with new pavement and curb and gutter. Central Avenue will be overlayed with a new tar surface.

No detours are planned during the street project, but only local traffic should use these streets.

The deep utility work (sewer and water mains and lines) will inconvenience some homeowners in the affected areas and will make the streets temporarily unpassable. After the deep utility work, the streets will remain gravel until the first layer of tarring (hopefully by mid-summer).

Affected residents will also be warned when the concrete sidewalks are poured by their houses. The concrete needs several days to cure without being driven over early this summer.

The contractor is R.L. Larson of St. Cloud. Affected residents should receive periodic newsletters of the project progress from new city engineer Bolton & Menk, Inc., of Willmar.

The city realizes that residents are
inconvenienced during the street project and appreciate their patience and cooperation, said public works director Ron Mergen, also interim city administrator. Anyone with questions or
concerns about the project can contact Mergen at city hall at 320-243-3714.